May I ask why you need a CVT flush?

 

May I ask why you need a CVT flush?[/QUOTE
Car just hit 35k miles and was trying to keep the manual's suggested services. Just read deeper into the manual and guess depending on how you drive you can change it at 60k miles instead. Dealer wanted something like $750 for their 30k mile tune up which they do lot of BS stuff that the manual doesn't even call for at that mileage like flushing power steering fluid, coolant flush etc.
Any suggestions on what kind of maintenance you would do at 35k? Changed the oil and both air filters already

 

getting your CVT flushed at 30k sounds like BS to me.I have never flushed any transmission at 30k.Now a drain and refill yes by all means.Dealer is always gonna charge more but on the other hand how m,any cvt expert do you think work at those midas/5 min oil change places.Sometimes u may wanna think ur gonna get what u pay for.But at the end you gotta make that choice

 

The CVT uses special fluid which I would only trust the dealer to replace. Make sure you're looking at the correct service/maintenance schedule.

 

I thought the book said to check it at 60K. 30/35K was for severe duty.

 

some guys here have said to not even flush it at 60k miles depending on use. If it feels like it's still running good, why change it at 60k miles?? I might consider it at 60k as peace of mind, but for a daily driver i might not do it or maybe wait until 75k or 85k miles.

 

FYI--CVT fluid works harder than regular trans fluid, so changing it at 60K as the manual states is to keep it (the trans) working well past 100K. Also Nissan has extended the warranty on the trans to 100K on the early models.

I would only have a dealer change the fluid, that way you have protection in case of a failure, you can push for goodwill assistance if you are out of warranty. I speak from experience, having worked at dealers for 30 years...

 

Manual says to inspect fluid at 60K. Unless I am reading this wrong, there is no recomended interval unless you are overusing the transmission.


Transmission Fluid/Oil, Differential
Oil, Transfer Case Oil
Visually inspect for signs of leakage at
specified intervals. If towing a trailer,
using a camper or car–top carrier, or
driving on rough or muddy roads, replace
the fluid/oil every 30,000 miles or 24
months (60,000 miles or 48 months for
Altima, Altima Coupe, Maxima, Rogue,

 

I met a lady while I was at the dealer for service that had Jiffy Lube do a flush on her CVT because the car had like 70~80 thousand miles. She initially went to the dealer because the car started driving strange and they found that the fluid in the CVT was destroying it, they wouldn't warranty it for her. She wound up having to put a claim on Jiffy Lube and having them pay to have the dealer replace the transmission, just a heads-up folks...

Not trying to down Jiffy Lube but be careful of those generic fluids said to work in every car. They apparently didn't work in hers.

 

I met a lady while I was at the dealer for service that had Jiffy Lube do a flush on her CVT because the car had like 70~80 thousand miles. She initially went to the dealer because the car started driving strange and they found that the fluid in the CVT was destroying it, they wouldn't warranty it for her. She wound up having to put a claim on Jiffy Lube and having them pay to have the dealer replace the transmission, just a heads-up folks...

Not trying to down Jiffy Lube but be careful of those generic fluids said to work in every car. They apparently didn't work in hers.

I was also told when I bought my Altima that the CVT fluid must be changed by a Nissan authorized service department, and Nissan's CVT transmission fluid be used.... or the 120,000 mile warranty would be void.

 

im having my cvt looked at soon. Its running fine but I have the extra cash to do it so I am. Also I just bought some tail lights

 

Plz use caution when changing your tail lights.only about 1 out of 5 tend to actually look good.you run the risk of making a sexy car look horrible.lol

 

Well theres only so many out there. Like 2 styles and one of those styles have a reversed look. I choose one that had the better reviews and price.

 

My service manual has 60K fluid replace (Schedule 1). I called 3 different Nissan Svc departments and got 3 different answers. Two said, every 30K (one of which said to flush/replace..the other said ONLY replace). One said, 60K inspect..100K flush/replace.
I also found that the cost to do so varies greatly by dealership...$157 to $325. When I asked why...it was "Oh, we do a flush & replace, the lower cost doesn't include a flush". One service manager told me that Nissan sent out a service bulletin to all dealerships...AND THEY DON'T RECOMMEND A FLUSH, just replace the fluid at 30K intervals.

 

holy 1.5 year thread bump.

 

My service guide (schedule 1 and 2) says to inspect every 15k miles and replace whenever necessary.

The only exception is "... if towing a trailer, using a camper or a car-top carrier, or driving on rough or muddy roads."

The premium maintenance schedule replaces CVT fluid every 30k mi.

 

I change my own CVT fluid. I do it religiously every 30k miles. And have done since I bought the car new "2014 Altima s" I've used Valvoline CVT fluid every time and I've also changed both filters mesh and paper each time. I'm at over 190k miles now and the CVT is behaving just as I did when I drove the car off the lot. I've got a few performance mods on the car typical CAI, underdrive pulley, stillen catback. Even with the added power it just keeps on trucking. Matter of fact it's been the most reliable car I've ever owned so far. Other than regular maintenance stuff "brake pads,oil change etc" the only issue I've ever had with it was the main battery fuse that's on the positive battery cable end went bad and everytime I'd go to start the car all electrics would just shut down completely. Ended up being a 35 dollar fix lol. I know alot of people have their own opinions on service intervals for the CVT and opinions on fluid brands and if only the dealer should service it etc. The dealers won't change the filters period on my car at least. I've called the dealerships near me for a quote and what their CVT service actually entails. After explaining it all to me I asked well what about the CVT filters? And he said and I quote "we do not change filters in the CVT transmission they last the lifetime of the vehicle"..... Idk about you guys but I've never seen any filter of any kind last for the entire lifetime of any vehicle lol. Just my two cents take it as you will.

 

I've called the dealerships near me for a quote and what their CVT service actually entails. After explaining it all to me I asked well what about the CVT filters? And he said and I quote "we do not change filters in the CVT transmission they last the lifetime of the vehicle"..... Idk about you guys but I've never seen any filter of any kind last for the entire lifetime of any vehicle lol.

You're replying to a 9 year old post, I don't know if any of the posters will still be listening.

FYI, the reason Nissan doesn't recommend changing either filter is perfectly sensible. First, CVT's have almost no clutch material and never make "ATF soup" like a regular A/T. No matter how decrepit the fluid gets, it only oxidizes and forms varnish. It never gets soupy because it lacks the ingredients. That's the reason the primary filter is a screen and not a true filter, and it's easy to blow it clean if there's any visible debris. Changing it is a waste of money. The paper element under the beehive is there only to catch fine break-in shavings, and it pretty much does nothing after break-in. Shavings that occur after that are almost always larger and the magnets catch them. Changing the element entails possibly putting some of that fine stuff back into circulation, so Nissan recommends leaving it permanently alone. I agree with both recommendations.

Now, your 30K changes -- all I'll say is kudos. If everybody did that, the CVT's reputation would be sterling and not suspect.

 

Sure it seem sensible because yes your right they don't produce the atf soup. Though every time I've changed my filters the paper filter is just in horrid condition and that's with regular 30k interval maintenance.

 

Though I do use only Nissan Oem filters when I replace them just not Nissan brand CVT fluid

 

So far I'm at 191k miles and still have the original CVT with no issues at all. I guess it's just preference really change them don't change them all a matter of choice I suppose

 

I guess it's just preference really change them don't change them all a matter of choice I suppose

Yah, I'm sure after all those changes there's no break-in material left to get loose. Nissan's rationale won't really apply after the second filter change or so. But I will point out that there's a Murano in our shop that's pushing 500K miles and the filter is original, along with everything else in the tranny. It's only ever had spill-and-fills.

Nothing wrong with good aftermarket fluid. Personally I'm a fan of Eneos. The specs not only indicate it equals or exceeds NS3 in all respects, but it's the same color as NS3, so even people under warranty can use it with impunity. I've never been a fan of the ridiculous price of NS3, it's self-defeating for us to have to charge a car payment for a fluid change and then end up warrantying trannies that die early from lack of maintenance.